Cable clamp



Oct. 14, 1941. MOD, JOHNS CABLE CLAMP Filed Dec. 16, 1940 GEORGE McD. JOHNS V ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. l4,

George McD. Johns, Sapping ton, Mo; assigm'r'to'. Smithjohns, Inc., Sappington, M0,, a corporation of Missouri Application December 16, 1946; Serial at. 370,279. 9 Claims. (01. 245-134) This invention relates to a certain new and useful improvement in cable clamps and has for its primary object the provision of a clamp which is simple and economical in construction, which is rugged and durable, which is readily manipulable and capable of installation speedily and without the employment of complicated or specially designed tools, which will grip a cable tightly and securely with increasing gripping pressure as tension on the cable is increased, and which is highly satisfactory and efficient in the performance of its stated functions.

And with the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a reduced schematic view illustrating a post or pole engaged with a securing-anchor by means of a guy-cable and clamp constructed in accordance with and embodying my present invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational View of the cableclamp with its members or jaws in open position and a cable being omitted;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the clamp taken approximately along the line 33, Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an elevational View of the clamp with its jaws in closed or cable-gripping position;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the clamp also with its jaws in closed position, but the cable being omitted; and

Figures 6 and 7 are fragmentary sectional views of the clamp taken approximately along 35 the lines 6--6 and 'I'I, respectively, Figure 5.

Referring now in more detail and by reference with a laterally presented boss or wing 3 longi- 50 tudinally cut-away or otherwise formed to provide a cable-channel 4 of somewhat U-shapein transverse section and preferably of slightly convex or outwardly bowed longitudinal contour free Figures -Land 5 and for purposes presently appearing. i

Preferably, the arm 2 upon its inner face is somewhat off-set, as at 2, relativelyv to the inner face of the body I, and formed preferably integrally upon the inner'face, and presented laterally from the smaller extremities, of the body I,

- are opposed bosses or wings 5 arcuately relieved along their laterally presented opposing faces in the provision of longitudinally extending cable channels or'grooves fi disposed approximately in the longitudinal :plane of the channel 4 and free of all sharp corners or the like...

Midway between the wings o'r bosses 5 and uponits outer'fac'e, the bodybl is formed with an outwardly presented bearing-ring I preferably integrally joined with diametrally extending strengthening webs 8, in turn, integrally connected with additional arm-strengthening webs 9 convergingly extending longitudinally on the outer face and along the side margins of the arm 2, all as-best seen in Figures 3 and 5.

At its ring I, thebody I of jaw A is provided with abearing-aperture, as at I 6, to rotatorily accommodate a swivel-stud or pin II projecting approximately centrally'from the inner face of an also somewhat oblong-rectangular body-portion'or cam-block l2 of an also preferably cast companion or co-operable jaw B, the body or 0 hub-portion I2'of jaw B being of reduced dimensions to fit for rotatory movement on the body I and between the wings 5 and the studor pin II being upset or peened, as at l3,'for securing the jaws A and B permanently together. 7 Likewise preferably integrally projecting, as at I4, outwardly from the outer face, and along one of the longer sides, of body or hub I2 and then projecting longitudinally outwardly with relation to "jaw A, is a suitably elongated tapering arm I4 preferably provided upon its outer face and along its longitudinal margins with strengthening webs I5. s Onv its laterallypresented or smaller end faces, the block or body I2 is relieved in the provision of approximately smooth eccentrically contoured arcuate grooves or channels I6 for disposition in opp sed spaced relation to the grooves or channels 6 of the body I of jaw A when the jaws A and B are in substantially longitudinal alignment,'as shown in Figure 4, soas, it may be here stated; to grip a cable C with increasing pressure as the members or jaws A, B, are swung or manipulated into such longitudinally aligned of any corners or sharp edges, all as best seen in 55 position and thereby bindzthe cable. C with in? creasing tightness within and between the cableembracing channels 6 and I6.

At its outer or free end and upon its inner face, the arm I 4 is also formed with a laterally presented boss or wing IT, in turn, longitudinally cut-away or otherwise formed to provide a laterally-opening smooth cable-embracing channel l8 of somewhat U-shape in transverse section and longitudinally preferably of somewhat convex or arcuately bowed .contour, it being noted in this connection that the groove or channel I8 is substantially similar in shape and form to, and when the jaws A and B are in substantially longitudinal alignment, as in Figure 4, opens laterally in the same direction as, the channel 4.

It should further be noted that the arm 14 is preferably, though not necessarily, longitudinally slightly bowed, so that the block or body l1 will neatly fit between the bosses or wings. 5 of the jaw A and the longitudinal axis of the cableembracing groove l8 will; lie substantially in the same plane as the longitudinal axis of the cablereceiving channel or groove 4.

In use and operation, a suitable guy-cable; C is conventionally attached at one. end as by means of an eye-bolt or the like 12 to. a. post P. Suitably embedded in the ground in laterally spaced relation to the post, is a conventional ground anchor G having a. shank is projecting upwardly and preferably obliquely out of the. ground and at its upper end provided withasuitr able eye or other conventional attachment element 2D. The arms 2 and M of the cable jaws A and B, respectively, are first swung around into position approximately at right angles to each other, as shown in Figure 2. The lower or free end of the cable C is first reeved through one of the relatively wide free spaces, as at. 2|, pro.- vided between a smooth long side of the blockv or body l2 and one of the bosses or Wings 5, so as to lie loosely within the respective groove or channel 6, thence looped through, the eye 20, and then brought up and reeved through the opposite free space 2| between the other smooth flat facev of the block l2 and the other boss or wing 5 to likewise lie loosely within the opposite channelor groove 6.

The free end of the cable C. is thengripped with a conventional cable-tightening tool or even. a claw fastened to a block and tackle. cable C being now tautly drawn, thev arm 21 is gripped with a pliers or other convenient tool and swung in a clockwise direction, reference again being had to Figures 2 and 4, until the cable C is snapped into the cable-receiving groove 4.

Similarly the arm M is swung, oppositely or in a counter-clockwise direction until a portion of the cable C extending on the outer face of the jaw A is likewise snapped into the cable-receiving groove [8. This relative rotation of the jaws A, B, will cause the block or body I2 to swivel or swing around in relation to. the bosses or wings 5 for eccentrically wedging the cable C, so gripped by the jaws A, B, tightly and securely within the grooves or channels 6, as shown in Figures 4' and '7.

Thus the clamp' eccentrically grips the cable C at spaced points or location therealong, and it will be apparent that the section of cable which is to remain permanently under tension is engaged on opposite sides of the block [2 in thegrooves or channels. 4, l8, so that any increase in tension due to additional load on the cable. C. will cause the jaws A, B, to swivel, in such a On the meter;

relatively opposite direction with respect to each other as will eccentrically increase the clamping pressure on the gripped portions of the cable C, the cable C being released on and when the jaws A, B, are reversely shifted into open position or into the angular position thereof shown in Figure 2.

The clamp is readily operable, may be inexpensively constructed, is durable and rigid, and is exceedingly efiicient in the performance of its intended functions.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the clamp may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cable clamp comprising a first jaw having a body-portion having a laterally presented channeled wing, a second jaw having a camblock engaged pivotally with said body-portion and endwise eccentrically channeled for cablegripping co-operation with the wing, and outwardly presented arms on said body-portion and cam-block for actuating the same,

2. A cable clamp comprising a first jaw having' a body-portion having laterally presented spaced wings opposingly grooved on their inner face, a second jaw including a block engaged .pivotally with said body-portion and eccentrically channeled upon its opposite ends for cablegripping co-operation with said wings, and outwardly' presented arms on said body-portion and cam-block for actuating the same.

3. A cable clamp comprising a pair of rocl ably connected jaws for eccentrically gripping a cable therebetween upon relative rotation with respect to each other, and channeled members on the jaws engageable with the cable for retaining the jaws in cable-gripping position when the cable is under tension.

4. A cable clamp comprising a pair of rockably connected jaws channeled for eccentrically gripping a cable therebetween upon relative rotation with respect to each other, and means including arms on said jaws and channeled wings on the arms engageable with the cable for retaining the jaws in cable-gripping position whenthe cable is under tension.

5. A cable clamp comprising a pair of rockably connected jaws, one of said jaws including spaced wings and the other of said jaws includ ingv a cam-block disposed intermediate said wings and. co-operable with the wings, in eccentrically gripping an interposed cable, and arms on the jaws contoured for clampingly forcing the cable into gripped engagement with the wings and block upon swingable movement of one of said jaws in a counter-clockwise direction from the other jaw.

6. A cable clamp comprising a first jaw having a body-portion provided with opposed channeled wings, and a second jaw rockably engaged with said body-portion and including a channeled cam-block co-operable with the wings in eccentrically gripping an interposed cable at spaced locations therealong, each of said jaws being provided with cable-embracing means for retaining the jaws incable-gripping relation to each other.

'T. A cable clamp comprising a pair of pivotally connected jaws having outwardly presented arms; and: companion hub-members, the one.

hub-member being embraced by the other and the hub-members being oppositely channeled for co-operation in gripping a cable therebetween on swingabl-e movement of one of said arms in counter-clockwise direction from the other arm and the arms being engageable with the gripped cable at spaced locations along the length thereof.

8. A cable clamp comprising a pair of pivotally connected jaws having outwardly presented arms and companion hub-members, the one hub-member being embraced by the other and the hub-members being oppositely channeled for co-operation in gripping a cable therebetween on swingable movement of one of said arms in counter-clockwise direction from the other arm, and wings on the free ends of the arms engageable with the cable at spaced points along the length thereof when the cable is gripped by and between the hub-members.

9. A cable clamp comprising a pair of pivotally connected jaws having outwardly presented arms and companion hub-members, the one hub-member being embraced by the other and the hub-members being oppositely channeled for co-operation in gripping a cable therebetween on swingable movement of one of said arms in counter-clockwise direction from the other arm, and wings on the free ends of the arms having channels opening laterally in the same direction for engaging the cable at spaced points along the length thereof when the cable is gripped by and between the hub-members.

GEORGE MCD. JOHNS. 

